25 May 2006 Edition

Media View - Distorting the reality of sectarianism: BY FRANK FARRELL

Michael McIlveen

That The Irish Times did not even bother to editorialise on the sectarian
murder of Michael McIlveen in Ballymena was probably a merciful relief. The
message would undoubtedly have been composed of that most disingenuous of
all Southern media distortions of Northern reality - 'sure there's a pair of
them in it'.

From the Short Strand to Ballymena and all points north, the reality of
sectarianism is not that of "divide" - the most misleading word in the
political dictionary of the conflict- but of assault by loyalists against
nationalists and the defence, sometimes coupled with mindless retaliation,
of Catholics. The modern IRA was borne out of such assaults even if
academics and media alike try to pretend that 1916 commemorations and the
Wolfe Tones were responsible.

Perhaps the biggest lie purveyed by the 26 County media is that sectarianism
is a two-way street, a presentation that allows the British armed state and
the RUC to be depicted as 'caught in the middle', struggling heroically to
separate the 'two tribes'. Smug Dublin liberals, meanwhile, wring - and wash
- their hands and bemoan the apparent inability of Catholics and Protestants
to get along with each other. The institutionalised sectarianism of the
Northern state does not exist. Such media coverage is tantamount to writing
about racism in South Africa without mentioning Apartheid, but the wordy
scribes of the Irish media, with a few notable exceptions such as Tom McGurk
and Susan McKay, manage it.

The murder of 15-year-old McIlveen was difficult to portray as anything but
the product of a DUP dominated community, many members of which see all
Catholics as an inferior species. Small noises of recognition could be
detected in the small print of some articles on the murder. But the
editorial sound and fury that normally accompanies the slightest suggestion
of republican violence was absent. Of all the distortions mutated by Section
31 in the media at large, the deliberate obscuring of sectarian reality is
about the most shameful.

The rehabilitation of Michael McDowell's image by a willing media was a
feature of the coverage of the Afghan refugees in St Patrick's Cathedral.
But while McDowell used to complain about leaks from the Gardaí, a masterful
media story was spun with lines that could only have come from his
Department.

We were treated to stories of rape and murder by one or more of the Afghans
as well as an accusation of outside manipulation by the usual shadowy forces
from outside the Cathedral. Whether this was the IRA, Al Queda or the Outer
Hebrides Liberation Front was left unsaid, but naturally the security
correspondents treated to such malicious gossip did not ask any awkward
questions and simply repeated the lines handed to them by McDowell's
spinners.

The same media was only too pleased to report the small ragbag of drunks who
taunted the Afghans, one or two of whom picked brawls with the large group
of supporters of the refugees. These drunks were portrayed as reflective of
the general population while the far greater number of anti-racists,
including Sinn Féin members, were accused last Saturday by Philip
Boucher-Hayes as exploiting the event. Boucher-Hayes obviously believes that
a spot of tired Sinn Féin bashing will not damage his prospects of
succeeding 5-7 live presenter, Rachel English, who is due to leave that
programme shortly.

RTE's normally compelling programme, Black Sheep, managed the virtually
impossible last Sunday night with a special on murder in the Civil War in
Kerry. Ballyseedy? Cahirciveen? Countess Bridge in Killarney? Places where
the Free State tied 17 prisoners to landmines and blew them to pieces?
Torture of prisoners in Tralee Jail? Or perhaps the numerous IRA volunteers
in Kerry who were captured and then simply shot dead? No. The programme
spent nearly an hour on the taking of Kenmare by the IRA in 1922 in which
two unarmed Free State Officers were shot dead. Not a glorious episode but
the programme was an historic distortion of monumental proportions which
ignored what were classic war crimes in Kerry. There are plenty of examples
of this available to any enthusiastic programmer in Black Sheep. Can we
expect the programme to redress this imbalance shortly?

An Phoblacht Magazine

AN PHOBLACHT MAGAZINE:

Don't miss your chance to get the second edition of the 2019 magazine, published to coincide with Easter Week

This special edition which focuses on Irish Unity, features articles by Pearse Doherty, Dr Thomas Paul and Martina Anderson.

Pearse sets out the argument for an United Ireland Economy whilst Pat Sheehan makes the case for a universally free all-island health service.

Other articles include, ‘Ceist teanga in Éirinn Aontaithe’, ‘Getting to a new Ireland’ and ‘Ireland 1918-22: The people’s revolution’.